Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)

A village of farmers on a pacifist moon is forced to take extreme defensive measures after an unjust attack by the ruling force.

'Rebel Moon - Part One' is the first part of a futuristic fantasy series, created by Zack Snyder, which is a welcome change in a genre oversaturated with Star Wars and all of its spin-offs. It's not extraordinary, but it has a very well-chosen cast and some well-coordinated martial-style fight sequences and not just confrontations with futuristic guns and "pew-pew" at every turn.

Director:  Zack Snyder      

With: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Charlie Hunnam, Anthony Hopkins, Staz Nair, Cary Elwes

Rating: 6.5/10

The Age of Adaline (2015)

Adaline stops aging after a car accident and lives her life reinventing her identity.

'The Age of Adaline' is a drama with fantasy romantic elements. Without containing a complicated or terribly deep story, it manages to induce a bit of feeling and strangely understanding. Good for a quiet winter evening.

Director:  Lee Toland Krieger   

With: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Kathy Baker

Rating: 7/10

The Invitation (2015)

A man accepts a strange invitation to his ex-wife's party where he sees old family friends again.

'The Invitation' is an intriguing thriller about human nature, the different ways we react to grief and how we choose to survive it, the need to belong to a herd and our destructive tendencies. Well acted, well built and well dosed with the necessary intrigue, the film offers a satisfying viewing, with an ending that will keep its effect long after the final scene.

Director:  Karyn Kusama      

With: Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michiel Huisman, Tammy Blanchard, John Carroll Lynch

Rating: 8/10

The Other Lamb (2019)

Selah was born into a cult of women led by a single male "sheperd" and is beginning to feel growing doubts about everything she has known her whole life.

'The Other Lamb' is an artistic drama that gives life to a powerful metaphor about the oppression caused by patriarchal society on the female spirit. The film is well made, visually impressive, with wide photographic frames, but also very challenging and not for sensitive eyes, and the main heroine is played with care and much art by the young Raffey Cassidy. However, in spite of all that and its similarities to the older The Witch, this film would have worked better and more efficiently as a short.

Director:  Malgorzata Szumowska    

With: Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman, Denise Gough, Ailbhe Cowley

Rating: 7/10